Ground stick



R. C. PALMER GROUND STICK April 2, 1929.

Filed June 25, 1928 JNVEN TOR. ffzzsaell 6. Pal/72 6/;

' ATTORNEYS RUSSELL CLARENCE PALMER,

PATENT OFFICE.

or saxron, PENNSYLVANIA.

GROUND STICK.

Application filed. June 25,

' These devices are, ordinarily, used for makingtemporary connection with high tension electric wires, eitherfor the purpose of temporarily grounding the same, or for the purpose of taking off current for use in the driving of appliances, such as an compressors and the like, on construction work. The invention is not limited as to the par ticular purpose for which the connection is made, but resides in providing a very simple, economical and compact structure adapted to be easily and quickly engaged with current carrying wires, or cables of varying dimensions, and adapted to make a firm and safe contact with said wires or cables, irrespective of the diameter of the latter. 1 i i Further objects and advantages of the in vention will be set forth in the detailed description which follows. r i

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation,

Fig. 2 is a front elevation,

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation, and

Fig. 4 is a planview. 1

Like numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawing. y p I The structure of the present invention. comprises a tubular sleeve 5, which receives the upper reduced end of a wooden pole 6. If desired, this ole may be coated w th an insulating varnish, to aid in rendering it more non-conductive of electricity. The The sleeve and pole are cut away at one side, as indicated at 7, to form a flat sur face and a recessed portion, constituting a firm seating for the shank portion 8, of a T- shaped plate. The cross, or head, portionof this T-shaped plate consists of arms 9, which project laterally beyond the sleeve 5. These arms are pierced for the passage of pins 10. These pins are encircled by springs 11, which bear between heads 12 of the pins, and the rear faces of the arms 9. The forward portions of the pins pass through ears 13, of a gripping lever 14. This gripping lever has an inwardly curved upper end, which is pivoted at 15; the pivot passing through the sleeve and through the material of the pole, as well as through the inturned upper end 16, of said lever. Thus, the pin serves to aid in securing the sleeve 5 to the pole 6, as well as to constitute a pivot for the lever 14. The lower end of the lever 14 1928. Serial N0. 287,971.

terminates in an outwardly curved tail 17, and the inner edge of said lever lies, when the device is not in use, in parallelism with and closely conforms to the outer face of the T-shaped plate 8. The inner edge of the lever 14 is notched or serrated, as indicated at 18, for a purpose which willybe hereinafter described. 1 i

Cotter pins, or other securing devices, 19 engage the pins 10 outside of the ears 13. Thus, it is clear that the action of the springs tends to draw the. lever 14 forcibly toward the outer face of the shank 8, of the T-shaped plate. The plate 8 is. bound securely to the pole and sleeve by bolts 20 and 21, which traverse said plate, pole'and sleeve and are engaged by nuts 22. Inaddition, the bolt 21 traverses a saddle block 24, the inner face of which conforms to the shape of the sleeve and snugly fits upon the same. A

a binding block 25 may be bound forcibly against the saddle block by a nut 26, upon a bolt 27 This bolt 27 traverses the binding block 25, saddle block 24, sleeve 5 and pole 6. The binding block serves to bind one end of the cable 28 into electrical connection with the saddleblock and,consequently, with the sleeve 5, plate 8, and lever 14; all of these parts being ofconductive material. Any suitable connecting means niay be carried by the outer or free end of the cable, the same being here shown as comprising a block 29, which is recessed as at 30, said recessed portion being traversed by a screw 31. The binding block 32 is traversed by a bolt or like fastening device 33, which serves to bind the other end of the cable to block 29. The recessed portion 30 of the block 29 is adapted to receive any object to which the electrical cable is to be grounded, such, for example, as one of the angle irons of the metallic towers so commonly employed as supports for high tension cables.

In use, it is only necessary to hook the tail 17, of the lever 14, over the cable to be grounded, or connected with and to then give a downward pull. This causes the cable to ride up between the surfaces constituted by the inner edge of the lever 14, and the outer face of the shank 8, of the T-plate. The fact that the upper end of the lever is curved so that, normally, these surfaces lie in parallelism with each other, renders it possible to readily engage cables of varying diameters, with the assurance that they will be efficiently contacted with,

ill

no matter how muchvariationin diameter there may b'e; Fliait is towsaty, for a piill 'o'fa given degree of force, the cable will ride up a longer or shorter distance, according to its diameter; but whatever 'pOSllJIOn it comes to rest it will be securely engaged in one of the notches or serrations.

It will be observed that thedeviiee very rigidly and strongly constructed, and that the several partsare so correlated ands united as to .c'omplementally brace and support each other. j. It 'is tobe understotxl that the invention is not limited to :the preeiseconstruetion set forth but that it includes within its ipur view whatevei changesfairly come within either the terms or the spirit of the appended claims.- 1

"Having. describedmy lIIVBIlUOII what I elaim'ds:

,1. A device of the chamcter: described,

, comprising s, sleeve adapted to receive' a @portionof a pole ofznon-eonductive material, a plate secured to said sleeve a lever lia vmggr 1 an inwardly curved lhead zpi-voted" to said sleeve, and an outwardly curved tail :at its lower em'hzpins engaged with Stud lever, and

.. springs bearing between said ipins smd *said plate to draw the inner edge (of said lever forcibly toward said plate.

2A 7 device, of; the character described, comprising a sleeve adapted tov'rec'eive a handle portion of avnomeonduetive meteia a a plate secured-to SaldSlBQVB W -lBVBI having an inwardl y fcurvedheedipi-voted to said sleeve and an outwardly eurved tail at its lower end,;pins engaged with said lever, and

f springs bearing betw'eent said pinsiand said plate to'draw the inner ed-ge of said lever forcibly toward said plate where the inner edge of said lever lies normally in pwlallelism with said plate, said lever being notched substantially throughout the length of its contacting face.

3. device of the character described, comprising a metallic tubular sleeve, a pole ofnon-conductive material, the end of which is received within said sleeve, said sleeve being cut away at one .side. a TF-shapcd plate comprising' an elongated shanlennda transverse head seated in the cut away portion of the sleeve, fastening devices traversing the plate, pole and sleeve,-a lever having an 4. A structure as recited .in claim 3. in I combination with a saddle block out outto fit the outer surfaceof the sleeve-and traversed by one of the fastening devices of the T-pla-tc, a binding block co-o1 )erating with the saddle bloek,a11da bolt traversing the binding block, the saddle block, the sleeve andthe ,pole.

. In testimony whereof liafiix my signature.

RUSSELL CLARENCE PALMER. 

